Your adventurous, avid travelers, and are seekers of moments, not things.  You yearned for an EXPERIENCE, not just a wedding day, right?

< Enter in the idea for a destination wedding >

Then the brainstorming began of where would have endless adventures, dynamic landscape for wedding photos, and be affordable for the majority of your wedding guests…

< Enter in Iceland >

Then you stumbled upon the idea of having an adventure wedding in Iceland… BRILLIANT. DONE. SOLD.  Woohoo!  Now that you’re planning a wedding in Iceland  with guests (and not eloping in Iceland), you need to devise a plan so that your Iceland wedding day is going to go down as: THE WEDDING OF THE YEAR.  So how do you do that successfully with or without an Iceland Wedding Planner?

Step 1:

Create a wedding website with useful information that makes it easy for your guests to make the decision to come (IE, Why you chose Iceland for your destination wedding location, Accommodation Room Block Information, Rental Car Info, Things to Do, How to Drive in Iceland, What to Pack, What to Wear to an Iceland Wedding Day, Best Hot Springs, Your Iceland Wedding Day Schedule, Pre/Post Wedding Itinerary, Gift Registry, etc).

Step 2: 

Get Your Guests EXCITED to come!  How?  Send a little “gift” with your invitation (like a map of the island, Icelandic candy, etc).

Step 3:

Send a newsletter update via email at the 9, 6, 3 and 1 month away marks to formally connect with your guests (also helps you track your room block information, meal choices, and reminds your guests that you care about them having an unforgettable time when they come to your Iceland wedding!).

Step 4:

Take your honeymoon 3-6 months after your wedding in Iceland so that you can design an epic pre and post wedding adventures WITH your guests in tow.  After all, you CHOSE Iceland for some fantastic reasons, so show them the best of the island (your way)!  Even if many your guests are not as adventurous as the two of you, they will live vicariously through you and feel honored to participate at different points.

Step 5:

When your guests check in to your Iceland wedding hotel, have welcome bags for them (either have the front desk give to each guest at time of check-in OR ask your fabulous Iceland Wedding Planner or Hotel if they can put them into each guests room).  Iceland Wedding Welcome Bags can have things in it like… Water, Tissues, Antacids, Tylenol/Advil, Hangover Kit, Hand Lotion (check out Soley products), Hand Sanitizer, Pepto-Bismol, Breath Mints, Shout Wipes, Chapstick, Eye Mask and Earplugs (if getting married in Iceland during summer solstice), Snacks (peanuts, cliff bars), Umbrella / Rain Poncho, Local Icelandic things like (dried fish jerky, licorice, chocolate, a wool item, map, or other awesome party favors).

Step 6:

Hold a “Welcome” Dinner or Cocktail Hour the day before your Iceland wedding day.  It gathers and focuses people.  Plus, it builds the anticipation of embarking on your adventure wedding day in Iceland!  Have a signature drink, either Icelandic (or American) appetizers OR a full sit-down 3 course meal.  If doing appetizers and drinks only, I suggest a 5-6pm timeframe.  If doing dinner, then start at 7pm (30 minutes per course).  NOTE: It’s important for people to GET SLEEP, so be mindful of this.

Step 7:

At the beginning or end of the welcome event pass out a physical Timeline Card/Schedule to each guest.  This is critical so that everyone is fully aware (no excuses) of when and where they need to be.  No one wants to be “that guy/gal” who shows up late, holds everyone up, or ruins an itinerary.  Set your guests up for success (and less stress) by communicating the schedule to them.  See here or here for an example Iceland wedding timeline card.

Step 8:

Allow us to design a full day adventure for your Iceland wedding day.  The landscape is unforgettable and being able to explore it with your guests is unlike anything they will EVER experience.  Imagine yourself saying “I do” at a private waterfall with zero tourists, discovering secret caves, marveling over massive glaciers, green mountains, trekking through canyons, and secluded black sand beaches with stunning rock formations!  Say what?!  Um yeah, seriously.  Your guests will be left speechless by the end of the day.

Step 9:

Seat your wedding guests during your Iceland wedding ceremony.  Nothing worse for a guest than having to stand through a ceremony in the cold/wind/rain, etc.  So be kind and courteous to their needs since they came all that way!  See HERE for more information on that topic.

Step 10:

Have an Unplugged Wedding Ceremony.  Why?  See our previous blog post HERE to understand better.  It encourages your guests to be PRESENT and in the moment WITH YOU.  Your guests may be miffed for a hot second but in the end, it will prove to have a larger impact on them, I promise.

 Step 11: 

Keep Guests Comfortable.  If going forward with an adventure wedding in Iceland, then you need to make sure (if you haven’t hired us as your Iceland Wedding Planner) there are scheduled bathroom breaks, a bathroom on the bus, or you have porta potties in tow.  Also be sure to have lunch and/or snacks available to your guests throughout the day (IE, fruit, snack sized chips, cliff bars, waters, sodas, etc).  This will avoid anyone getting “hangry.”

Step 12:

Have a scheduled “bail out” point if needed during the day (if your guest list includes any children under 10, over 70 years old or just in general less adventurous fair weather folks) AND a designated “rest” time between the adventure portion and the reception dinner.  At least an hour is needed for guests to be able to rest, refresh, and catch a second wind.  They will thank you later for this!

Step 13:

Introduce your Iceland wedding guests to some cultural elements!  Craft your wedding menu to have some local delicacies such as the following: Mushroom Soup, Icelandic Meat Soup, Langoustine, Scallops, Arctic Char, Reindeer, Lamb, or Skyr Cake.  Adding in an Icelandic Wedding Cake is a fun option as well!

Step 14:

Save any speeches or toasts for after the main course.  Toasts are best enjoyed by everyone on a full belly.

Step 15:

Have an open bar (unless there are sensitive circumstances as to why you cannot).  It’s not very pleasant for a guest to have travelled thousands of miles to find out their “friends” cannot buy them a glass of wine or a beer.  But know it’s okay to have curved limits like stating on the bottom of your menu “Beverages: Sodas, Coffee, Tea, Beer, and Wine” which implies cocktails or hard liquors are on the guests’ dime.  Or telling the hotel it’s okay to have an “open bar” if bottles or 30-year-old whiskies, etc are not included.  Just be tactful about it and not tacky to save a few bucks.

Step 16:

Be sure (if you have not hired us as your Iceland wedding photographer) you specifically ask your Iceland wedding photographer to take candid and posed photos (of the couples).  It’s a nice keepsake for you and the couples to have and remember later!

Step 17:

Schedule some post wedding day awesomeness for you and your Iceland wedding guests.  Maybe an activity like Inside the Volcano? Glacier Ice Climbing or Hiking? Horseback Riding? Scuba or Snorkeling between the famed tectonic plates?  Or how fun would it be for you all to caravan with walkie talkies throughout the Golden Circle and end the day in some secret hot springs?!  It would be an unforgettable end to your wedding events!

Step 18:

Send “thank you” notes to your guests regardless of them sending you a gift or not.  That simple.  If they came to your Iceland destination wedding, they deserve to be “thanked”  for coming formally.  Do it within 6 weeks after your Iceland wedding day.

Following these easy straightforward steps will ensure your guests are happy during your wedding day in Iceland and them remembering yours as THE BEST DAY EVER!

With a smile, Ann Peters + Team (Iceland Wedding Photographers + Planners)

© 2016, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved.

The post 18 Steps to Planning an Iceland Wedding Your Guests Will Never Forget appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Christophe: 

NYC Digital Guru who is an epicurean of all things delicious.  Dapper from head to toe.  Addicted to super cool things like Iceland, adventure travel, and Mary.

Mary:

She is hands down the most adventurous, compassionate, and thoughtful person I have ever met.  She cares about others on a level that doesn’t exist in most people. Not to mention she is also one of the most beautiful!

Together:

They make my cheeks hurt from smiling so much by simply just being around them.  The love they radiate is contagious, serves as an example to the world and makes you want to love whoever is in your life, harder and deeper.  …and they adventure together, often.

Quickly bonding over their shared obsession for good food, adventure seeking, travel, love of motorcycles and a continuous curiosity with Iceland…. They soon found themselves ~2,100 feet up on top of Whistler Mountain the day after Valentine’s Day where Christophe got down on one knee and proposed a lifetime of love and epic adventures to Mary.  She said “yes” and Iceland destination wedding planning began!  ::Update:: Checkout more of their amazing images on the Destination I Do blog, when they featured it, HERE!

One of the most important aspects of having a wedding in Iceland was that Christophe and Mary wanted to share in an EXPERIENCE with their friends and family not just have a wedding day like they could have back in the USA (church to reception).  To their guests surprise they were invited to an epic wedding day journey beside Mary and Christophe exploring the purest areas of Iceland.  Come along with me as I share with you some highlights from their 100+ person Rugged Adventure Wedding in Iceland!  All images you’ll see below were captured by myself and other primary photographer, Jean Smith!

Also check out Destination I Do Magazine’s blog for more from their amazing day (and specifics from the couple!), HERE!

The day began in a quaint little village called Vik.  The town of Vik is about 2.5 hours from the capital of Reykjavik.  The area is known for some of the most stunning landscapes but also the most amount of wind and rain.  It’s a tradeoff risk Christophe and Mary were willing to take.  “Boots and Suits” were the dress code theme and within each guest’s welcome bag they found some helpful items to help during the adventure like a backpack for a shoe change and an emergency rain poncho.  How fun, right?

By 9:30am their 100+ guests gathered in the hotel lobby and patiently waited for the super jeeps to arrive.  They were shuttled up to the top of the hill in the village where a beautiful white and red church sits overlooking the village.

Christophe and Mary professed their endless love to each other in that sweet little countryside church.

From there, we went waterfall hunting!  After hiking for 10 minutes their group was greeted with a secret waterfall to explore!

Did you know that between all of our 9+ Super Jeeps we had for their 100+ person Iceland wedding adventure the bride and groom had the ability to talk to their guests and sync a music playlist?  You can only imagine how that increased everyone’s excitement level!

The second stop on the adventure wedding agenda was a hot dog bbq lunch in a private cave!  To get there, we forged some sweet rivers and jammed out to music.  Once there everyone ate a delicious lamb hot dog with all the sauces (Icelanders LOVE their sauces) and fixings (like raw and fried onions), toasted with Christophe’s family’s champagne (La Caravelle) and had a fun Icelandic sing-along.  The energy from all the excitement in there was intoxicating and truly an unforgettable experience!

A subglacial volcano was the next exploration spot.  It rained a lot, but the smiles just got bigger the closer we got to the glacier.  Everyone was in utter awe of the colors, depth, tones, and textures.  And even in the rain, Christophe and Mary bounced around laughing and playing together hand in hand.

The final stop for the guests was my favorite private beach.  It comes complete with epic sea arch, black sand, and a stunning glacier view.  To say everyone enjoyed would be an understatement!

The team of Iceland wedding photographers and videographers continued to our last stop with just the bride and groom….  A private canyon area where some of my favorite shots from the day were taken!

The rest of the group had about an hour to rest and refresh before they were invited to delight in an incredible four course Icelandic meal.  Many amazing toasts, endless laughs, delicious cocktails, and dancing kept the night lively. Then close to the final hour the couple cut their traditional Icelandic wedding cake for a sweet treat!

Just when you thought the night might be coming to an end, several folks in the group went on a Northern Lights hunt.  They were successful too, somewhere around 2am!  Perfect end to a fabulous September wedding in Iceland!  Our friends at Two Penny Productions created a lovely video (including those dancing Northern Lights) documenting Christophe and Mary’s adventurous wedding day in Iceland.  We encourage you to go check it out here and leave them some love!

Mary + Christophe,

Ugh. You two!!  You’re disgustingly BEAUTIFUL humans, both individually and together.  Getting to know you over the last 2 years has been a super fun experience!  I’m going to miss our 5am Skype calls and your witty emails.  But!  You will not escape me anytime I come to NYC or you come to Iceland

I cannot say it any better than my friend Pastor Egill… “Part of your home is here now.  You are home here in Iceland.”  I know you know this in your hearts, feel this, and that you will always come back to have more experiences and incredible adventures here.  I’m excited to see your marriage and journey unfold!  Lots of love and hugs to you!!

With a smile, Ann Peters + Team (Iceland Wedding Photographers + Planners)

© 2016, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved.

The post Vik Iceland Rugged Adventure Wedding: Christophe + Mary appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

So enter in “plan b!”  Not to worry though, having an Iceland wedding with super jeeps as the mode of transport allows us to change plans on the drop of a dime.  Plus, often times the “plan b” route proves to be the better than the original, which was indeed the case!  So, let’s go darlings and be adventurers!

Amy and Israel’s whimsical wedding day in Iceland began at one of my favorite hotels… Hotel Grimsborgir in Selfoss. The ladies got ready together in one of the luxurious bridal suites early that morning.  How pretty is her Iceland wedding dress and boots?

Seriously perfect details for an adventure wedding in Iceland!

…and coordinates of their Iceland wedding location on the groom’s cuff links, how special is that?!  #love

As soon as 8:30am came (yes our awesome wedding begin super awesomely early!) their 40 guests loading into super jeeps for a full day adventure wedding day.  Their guests had no idea where the ceremony spot would be and you could feel the excitement in the air!

To their surprise, they were taken to a beautiful secret cave in the middle of a black sand desert.  When they jumped out of the jeeps and walked into the cave they were speechless.  There were chairs perfectly lined, lanterns, fancy fruit and chocolate display along with a gorgeous champagne toast!

We loved putting together this amazingly delicious champagne toast and fruit spread for everyone to delight and celebrate in after the Iceland cave wedding ceremony they had!

The next stunning spot the Iceland adventure wedding day agenda was a perfectly private black sand beach where they frolicked in the rain together until it went sideways.  But you know what is amazing about rainy weddings in Iceland….

They are not only LUCKY but always bring incredible show of end to end rainbows!

A wedding in Iceland, would not be complete without a waterfall along the path of our adventure!  But we got lucky… as several offbeat waterfalls followed along this gorgeous day’s route, each varied in shape, size, tone, and texture!

The evening brought a beautiful Iceland wedding reception that was sweetly styled with rustic local elements.  Each guest was given a local artist’s drawing of an area within Reykjavik, lava salts, and journal notebook.  How crazy sweet is that?

Not to mention everyone delighted in a lovely 4 course meal complete with a traditional Icelandic wedding cake and blue macaroons! Delicious!

We wish these two more laughs, smiles, and adventures than they can handle in a lifetime together!  Thank you for choosing us to not only plan but photograph your amazing adventure wedding in Iceland! ? ? ?

With a smile, Ann Peters + Team (Iceland Wedding Photographers + Planners)

© 2016, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved.

The post A Wonderfully Whimsical Wedding in Iceland appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Nordic Hotel Forum in Tallin, Estonia.

I’m so excited today, to introduce you to not only a gorgeous country in the Baltic States that is filled with heart-warming history, art, stunning villas, parks, delicious food, and endless activities for my thrill seekers, but a hotel that is near it all.  The Nordic Hotel Forum offers you luxury within walking distance of the Old Town Tallin and is minutes away from everything else!

I arrived at the hotel totally tired from driving in several hours from Latvia and as soon as I walked in my mood changed as the staff greeted me.  The super professional team took my bags from my hands, checked me in quickly and wished me a wonderful day.  I suddenly found my second wind!  Luckily too because I was minutes away from eating out of my mini bar or ordering room service when I was reminded about their FABULOUS 5 star restaurant on site: Restaurant Monaco!

The meal I had in this fabulous hotel and restaurant, was one of the most delicious, surprising, and inspiring I have ever had.  Not kidding folks… and I eat out a lot!  The chef is genius and the space is gorgeous!  Which proves to be the best combination for having a destination wedding in Estonia, am I right?  You want your guests to walk away from their meal saying, “Oh my, that was the BEST meal I have ever had!”

I began with the astonishing “signature drink” of the hotel and it was calm, cool, and refreshing!  I delighted in a delicious 4 course meal that evening that brought in some traditional elements like duck/deer but brought it up 100 notches by taste and presentation (as you’ll see from my photos below)! …and I might have had the most amazing thing I have ever put in my mouth for dessert.  Nothing like I have ever had before, it blew my mind as it exploded (literally and figuratively) in my mouth!

So why is this marvelous location ideal for your Nordic/Baltic Adventure Wedding?  Countless reasons really but a few of my favorite highlights follow below:

• We already know that check box #1 is marked with having: The Most Remarkable. Food Ever.
• 267 luxurious new modern rooms await you and all you love.
• One of the Newest and most elegantly Modern Designed hotels in Estonia.
• Sinine Salong Spa is right next to the hotel (you will not have to go far for your hair and makeup on your Estonia wedding day)!
• Premium Linens and Toiletries (and of course a full size hair dryer!).
• Free Wifi.
• Breakfast is included each morning.
• Fabulous Mini Bar.
• Can easily accommodate any handicap guest concerns and needs flawlessly.
• The hotel is already a proven “go to” location for local clients as well international for special events… Your Estonian Destination Adventure Wedding will have the highest attention to detail!
• They have 6 private rooms that can accommodate any event size flawlessly (Fun Fact: They are named after stars in the Northern sky and can house the following group sizes for weddings in each: Sirius – 250 guests, Capella – 150 guests, Arcturus – 80 guests, Vega – 40 guests, Altair – 25 guests and Miitsar – 10 guests).
• Seasoned professional staff who go above and beyond.
• A very Nordic / Estonian vibe is throughout the hotel with clean lines, local artist decor, and followed into the luxury rooms.
• Eco-Friendly Hotel from the floors to the ceiling!
• Room Service at your beckon call.
• 24-7 Business Center (we all know work doesn’t stop even on a wedding weekend)!
• The Monaco Restaurant, enough said.
• Swanky Lobby Bar
• Hot Tub, Sauna, Bar, Gym and lounge area on the top floor that overlooks the grand city of Tallin, Estonia. Check out their Leisure Room here.
• Nordic Hotel Forum is 10 minutes from the Tallin Airport.

It is no understatement to say that the happiest hotel in Tallin, Estonia is the Nordic Hotel Forum.  The vibe throughout the hotel and the attention to detail the staff has is the best I’ve seen in a city hotel.  The best thing is too is that the concierge on staff can direct you to anything your heart desires whether it be museums, art, historical villas, the beautiful national parks in the area, or lead you to more limit pushing escapades for your daily activities.  For my lovely adventure seekers, there are many many things within the area that will get your heart thumping!  Activities like the Tallin Balloon, Tallinn TV Tower, the Sailing vessel “Kajsamoor,” and the Tallinn Creative Hub!

You better come back next week as we head to our next location on our Top 5 Adventure Wedding Hotel List for 2015… It’s in one of the most majestic and mysterious places on the planet for you nature lovers out there!  If you missed out previous posts on this year’s list, please go back Vihula, Ammende, and Baltic Beach to enlighten yourself on them.

With a smile, Ann Peters (Adventure Wedding Planner + Photographer)

Nordic Hotel Forum Contact Information:

• Address: Viru väljak 3; 10111 Tallinn, Estonia
• Phone +372 622 2900
• Website: http://www.nordichotels.eu/en/
• GPS Coordinates: 59.437334 / 24.7529373

© 2002-2015, Photos by Miss Ann / Iceland Wedding Planner, All Rights Reserved

The post Top Adventure Wedding City Location: Nordic Hotel Forum appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

The day… Let me take you back to that wonderful summer day in Iceland, we’ll fondly call, Tanabata.  What is that, you ask?  If you’re familiar with Asian customs, you might have heard of the inspiring “Star Festival” which is a legend that allows two lovers to meet in the Milky Way for only one day a year, which is on the seventh day of the seventh month… July 7^th.  It’s lucky, it’s beautiful, it’s romantic, and it frankly gives me goosebumps.  Plus who doesn’t want an epic date for their wedding day, am I right?

My Iceland Adventure Weddings always begin before 7am so we can lead a very action packed 16+ hour day.  After all it’s Your Adventure Wedding, right? =)  We were out the door of Hotel Ranga and on our way to one of my favorite private waterfalls in Iceland via super jeep.  D+G “Ooooo, and ahhhhh” over the epic blue skies, lushness, and splendor of this private super-secret waterfall.  The day carried on to a luxurious and very romantically styled picnic on the side of what could be one of Iceland’s most powerful subglacial volcanos.  So exciting!  A wickedly awesome drive through some of Iceland’s sweetest canyons and then on to one of our last stops was a gorgeous black sand beach that had amazing basalt columns protruding from the North Atlantic Ocean.

Upon returning to Hotel Ranga, the couple was greeted with a stunningly styled (by us, Iceland Wedding Planner of course) intimate Iceland wedding reception for two overlooking the beautiful Ranga River.  Accoutrements included connections to nature within the rock centerpieces, organic salt Iceland wedding favors, an elegant Iceland wedding menu card, and flasks that said, “The Adventure Begins…”  A luxury elopement in Iceland screams details.  That’s just what this fabulous couple received!  As the sun began to set after dinner, we headed back out to a sweet little sod farm for a few more images ending our adventure just after midnight!

A remarkable couple plus an extraordinary day, surely equals mesmerizing Iceland wedding photos, as you’ll see below compliments of Photos by Miss Ann!  Enjoy!!

With a smile, Ann Peters (Iceland Wedding Photographer and International Wedding Planner)

© 2015, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Luxury Icelandic Elopement appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Do you even know about having a super cute champagne lunch picnic or a styled Iceland wedding reception table?  You should.  Even though you’re eloping, there should still be a little glitz and glam to wow you on your destination wedding day.

<Enter Us>  We get it, we design for months, create, pick out unique items, and style an unforgettable setup that will make you swoon on your Iceland wedding day!

Have no idea what that might look like?  Good News!  Today I bring you an Iceland Wedding Reception that is romantically styled for two!  Atlanta, Georgia couple, Miranda and Pete expressed an interest to me about having a “Fire & Ice” themed wedding from the schedule to the styled Iceland wedding reception table design.  I was most certainly up to the challenge to creating and commissioning some unique items to complete this fabulous Iceland wedding reception!

In case you missed it, don’t forget to head back to Pete and Miranda’s other Iceland elopement posts here:

• Godafoss Waterfall Wedding Ceremony
• Iceland Wedding Photos in Dimmuborgir Lava Field

Stay tuned next time as we head back to Southern Iceland for their super fun and romantic Iceland post wedding session!

With a smile, Ann Peters (Iceland Wedding Planner and Photographer)

© 2015, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Northern Iceland Wedding Reception // Miranda + Pete appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

There they stood out on a jagged cliff in front of the massive 40 foot by 100 feet wide waterfall professing their lifetime love to each other.  It was wildly stunning and the essence of an adventure wedding by pushing their fear of heights limits!  Today, I share with you their Iceland wedding ceremony at Godafoss Waterfall, enjoy!

Their amazing elopement adventure continued to the other amazing locales:

• Iceland Wedding Photos in Dimmuborgir Lava Field
• Iceland Wedding Reception for 2

With a smile, Ann Peters (Iceland Wedding Planner & Photographer)

© 2015, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Godafoss Waterfall Wedding: Iceland Elopement Photographer appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Woohoo!!!  Kim + Chris, Happy 1 Year Wedding Anniversary!  …Now, I beg you to come back to Iceland and do it all over again! …Or at the very least browse through your epic Iceland wedding day images again =)

Do you remember all of the amazing blogs that published their fab Iceland summer wedding?  Brides without Borders was the first and then came The Frosted Petticoat!  You may also see many of their stunning images on our Blog… Go back to their wedding ceremony at Reynisfjara Beach, their dreamy wedding portraits at Skogafoss Waterfall here, Dyrholaey Cliff wedding photos here, and their GORGEOUSLY styled Iceland wedding reception here.

© 2015, Iceland Wedding Planner /  Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Wedding Anniversary: Kim and Chris appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Wedding favors typically serve 4 purposes:

1. To “thank” your guests for coming to your Iceland destination wedding.
2. To be a reflection of your style as a couple that also compliments your wedding theme.
3. To serve as a memento to your guests of the Iceland location you have chosen.
4. A snack for your guests if you have chosen to not have Hors D’oeuvres or a Night Glow hour.

Think back on the weddings you have attended…What types of local or destination wedding favors made the largest impression on you?  Usually, if you’re having a local or destination wedding in Iceland, wedding favors usually fall into 4 overall categories:

• Edible – You can be simple by having M&M’s, mints, coffee/tea, caramel corn, gumballs, etc, or you can be elaborate in your edible wedding favor design.  Some of our brides have had personalized treats like cupcakes, cake pops, cookies, cocktail jelly beans, mini champagne bottles, rock candy, chocolate covered items, or our personal favorite for a fall wedding in Michigan is caramel apples and apple cider!

• Practical –Guests love a wedding favor they can use and remember where they got it from when they use it.  A couple examples of practical wedding favors that hold a lasting impression would be seed packets, wine corks, frames, cookie cutters, love measuring spoons, whisk, ice cream scoop, engraved luggage tags, cheese board/knife, passport holder, local Icelandic books (about the dynamic sites, culture, or folklore) , etc.

• Sentimental –Wedding favors with heart are always super sweet because they convey a special thought and detail that is usually important to the bride and groom.  For instance, a destination wedding couple may choose to do a donation to their favorite charity in lieu of providing their guests with a favor.  That couple might print out a small card and put it at each place setting stating why they have chosen to do so (in honor of a family member who passed away, etc).  Or we have seen couples personally make a special item their guests like homemade wine, jam, sauce, so the item may be enjoyed at a later time.  Any wedding favor that manages to emit emotion from the bride and groom to their guests is truly noteworthy.

• Fun –If you’re a fun loving couple who just want to make your guests smile on your wedding day with entertaining wedding favor we have seen a few couples give their guests sunglasses, sandals, shot glasses, drink cozies, etc.  Destination weddings may also want to consider having a special memento from the state/country you’re holding the wedding in as guests usually get pretty excited for that extra detail.

What should you spend on a wedding favor?

There is not a specific algorithm to get the answer to this question.  It frankly depends on your budget and guest count.  For example, we only planned on 45 people attending our Seljalandsfoss wedding (traveling also to Vik Beach and Skogafoss during our Iceland wedding) so we splurged a little more and spent $12 per luggage favor tag.  Generally though, simple or homemade wedding favors may only cost .80-$5 per person; whereas, more extravagant or personalized favors may cost $6-15 each; and the top of the line wedding favors would be $15+.

Once you have decided on what type of wedding favor you are going to give your guests the next step is to determine the presentation.  Ask yourself a couple of questions… Do you need certain packaging to hold everything together (wrapping, ribbon, etc.)?  Is there a theme you’re trying to exude throughout the day (IE, Married in the Land of Fire & Ice?)?  What will your wedding packaging and label look like?  Where will your favor be positioned on the table when your guests sit-down at your Iceland wedding reception?

Wedding Favor Label/Packaging Ideas:

• Incorporate your wedding colors.
• Match your invitation theme.
• Say “Thank You” to your guests somehow on it.  (DIY Iceland Detail: Maybe in the language of your destination wedding country?)
• Put your wedding date on the tag or engrave it on the item (Guests always appreciate this detail, especially when they use your gift at home later!).
• Have personalized ribbons (Iceland wedding planning tip: Double-faced satin looks the best).  For our Seljalandsfoss wedding we had “Ann & Chris” printed on rolls of ribbon to use for all of our Iceland destination wedding events.
• Make your wedding favor dual purpose (i.e. turn it into a place card, versatile to be used again or have it communicate something to your guests).

As Iceland wedding planners, we encourage our clients to choose wedding favors that serve a multiple purpose.  Here is a real Iceland destination wedding example:  Chris and I chose to have metal luggage tags.  Doesn’t really sound all that exciting and seems pretty simple for a destination wedding in Iceland, right?  We thought the same thing so we put our own twist to it.  We used our luggage tag favors in the following ways to serve several wedding day purposes (I know you detailed pretties out there will appreciate this!):

1. Our luggage tags were our wedding favors to our guests for our wedding reception at Hotel Ranga in Hella, Iceland.
2. The Iceland wedding favor luggage tags also served as a souvenir for our guests to instantly use (then and later).  The tags we felt, represented our Iceland wedding day adventure: from our Seljalandsfoss wedding ceremony, a champagne toast at Vik Beach, and wedding photo stop at Skogafoss waterfall.  We specifically had the back of each guest luggage tag engraved with “Iceland 2012,” then Chris’s said “Groom Iceland,” and mine said “Bride Iceland.”
3. The front of our destination wedding luggage tags also operated as our seating chart (Iceland wedding place cards) and gave the Hotel Ranga staff information on each guest’s meal choice for that evening.  Iceland DIY Details: Before our Seljalandsfoss wedding weekend, we had purchased 4 colors of metallic card stock; designated a corresponding color to go with the 4 main meal choices (Example: Gray = Salmon; Gold = Lamb; White = Vegan; Blue = Child menu), printed out our Iceland wedding logo (A?C) at the top and on the next line we put the guest’s name.
4. The final function of our Iceland wedding favor was as a place setting napkin ring/holder for our pin-tucked napkins.  How fun, right?  Finished photo example from our Hotel Ranga wedding here.

Specific Iceland Wedding Favor Examples:

• Edible: Rock Candy Swizzle Sticks with a tagline that says “Married in the Land of Fire and Ice!”  You could even go so far to actually pair it with something that relates to fire like hot sauce or matches in a vial.  We used blue and orange rock candy swizzle sticks to emulate the glaciers and fire in our Iceland wedding photo examples.

• Practical Usage Wedding Favor: Luggage tags, Icelandic wool knit item ( everyone loves wool socks, right?), moss candles, a game unique to Iceland, and frankly the possibilities are endless because Iceland rocks!  Having an item that is dual purpose allows your guests to really remember how epic your wedding really was later too.

• Sentimental: A gift certificate for your Iceland wedding guests to do a post wedding activity.  Admittance maybe to Iceland’s Blue Lagoon?  Rent a bus a day following for your wedding party to tour Iceland’s famous Golden Circle together as a group?  Take a tour of Iceland’s other famous natural wonders such as the glacial lagoon, stunning waterfalls, black sand beaches, sod farms, boiling mud pots, lava fields, or glaciers?  If you do decide to go this route make sure you let your guests know ahead of time.  That way they can plan for it in their travel plans ahead of time and you are not disappointed that they have already done it.

• Fun Iceland Wedding Favors: If you’re not going to do a wedding welcome bag for your guests it would be really sweet to put together as your wedding favor to them a box or bag of Icelandic made treats (like candies, trinkets, coffee, lava rock/ash, Icelandic water, etc) or an Iceland Survival Kit.  I would envision an Iceland Survival kit to be similar to our Iceland wedding guest welcome bag with inclusions to accommodate all ages, folks from all different climates and needs.  Other amazing options you may want to consider specific to Iceland: Krona key chain, wool bookmark, Icelandic moss candle, Icelandic wool blanket for your guests to each take home, lava rock mementos, etc!  The possibilities are endless, be creative!

I hope that our post today on Iceland wedding favors generates your own awesome ideas for your destination wedding in Iceland!  Chris and I would love to hear more about you and your big day in the making feel free to contact us directly here for more information!

With a smile, Ann Peters
Expert Iceland Wedding Photographer and Planner

© 2002-2013, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Iceland Wedding Favors appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

Having over 10 years in the destination wedding industry under my belt one thing I can always count on is… that no matter how much you plan for what the “what if” scenarios there will be something that happens on your wedding day that you did not prepare for.  Some things being within your control and others not. Having your destination wedding in the country like Iceland, where there is not a big box store like Wallyworld or a pharmacy accessible or nearby your hotel you will need to make sure you have a very thorough emergency kit.

Situation: You wake up at your hotel, it’s your wedding morning and you or your soon to be husband have forgotten one of your toiletries you usually use in your getting ready routine and the nearest convenient store is over 40 minutes one way and doesn’t open until 10am.  You’re leaving for your Seljalandsfoss wedding ceremony in less than 1.5 hours.  It is just not possible for you  or someone else to make the drive, get ready, and get back in time for the day’s events.  The store also may not have your creature comforts you are use to, so having a bride and groom emergency kit will allow the day of panic level to go down amongst yourselves and your guests.

A couple of examples of where these bridal survival kits would have come in handy (I have personally encountered these examples throughout the years):

• The maid of honor’s heel breaks.  (Iceland Wedding Planner saves the day with super glue and alternative cute shoe option as viable backup).
• The groom steps on brides train and it rips out the button (I know as an Iceland photographer, I have taken the time to sew it back up for the bride to ensure the rest of the day is flawless).
• The MOTB or MOTG’s bra strap keeps showing (A few minutes spent pinning or a few stitches will solve this quickly).
• Example from my Iceland Wedding Day: Even as a super planner who has seen and done it all I somehow had 3 mishaps happen during my Iceland wedding day I had to navigate through: 1.) I forgot my engagement ring back at the hotel; 2.) I had asked for black chiavari chairs at the ceremony site and sadly the ceremony setup was with white plastic garden chairs. 3.) Our hired in destination photographers from Toronto, Ontario were MIA several times (the day before and then again during the reception) when we needed to speak with them. I had to go the extreme of writing a note to post on their hotel door and asking the front desk to find them for me. Two of the above items, I had no control over and one my wedding day emergency kit instantly solved.  The items you have no control over you need do what you can in the moment, take a deep breath, and find a substitute is possible, and if not deal with the situation after your beautiful day is complete.

Iceland is a awe-inspiring place and that is mainly because it is not over populated with convenient stores or shopping malls.  The natives are simple people and do not require the intricate must haves as most of us have on our must have getting ready list so chances are their stores are not going to carry the items you are in need of.  Mishaps aside, there are things that you can do to prepare for these what if scenarios before your wedding in Iceland.  To combat any potential problems the day of with yourself or your guests so here is a super awesome list of crucial wedding day items that no bride, groom, or bridal party should be without!

Put together a Bridal Emergency Kit consisting of the following:

• Extra Wedding Vows
• Sewing Kit (includes pins, scissors,  thread, and needles)
• Clear Nail Polish
• Nail File
• Hairspray
• Mirror
• Shine Blotting Sheets
• Stay-Matte Pressed Powder to touch up shine
• Pain Reliever
• Static Guard Spray
• Clinique Touch Base for Eyes
• Brush/Comb
• Tissues
• Lint Brush
• Earring Backs
• Nail Polish Remover
• Baby Powder (for last minute spills on your dress)
• Shout Wipes or Tide to Go Pen
• Eye Drops
• Acid Relief
• Smelling Salts
• Tampons and Pads
• Band-Aids
• Headache medicine
• Large Scissors
• Krazy or Super Glue
• Sunscreen (if it’s an outdoor wedding)
• Bobby Pins
• First Aid Kit
• Safety Pins
• Toothbrush and Toothpaste
• Chalk
• Dental Floss or Toothpicks
• Hem Tape
• Scotch Tape
• Straws
• Tweezers
• Extra lipstick or gloss
• Matches
• Trail mix
• Hollywood Tape (or double sided tape)
• Deodorant scrub off brush
• Breath Mint
• Notepad and Pencil
• Flash Drive for any important speakers, timeline flow, to transfer of files, etc.
• Write your soon to be a day of note!

Put together a Groom Emergency Kit consisting of the following:

• Black Socks (2 pairs)
• Extra Wedding Vows
• Extra Wedding Rings
• Safety Pins
• Travel sewing kit
• Razor and travel shaving cream
• Band-Aids
• Hand sanitizer
• Shout Stain Remover
• File
• Nail clipper
• Brush/Comb
• Toothbrush & Toothpaste
• Breath mints
• Cologne
•  Extra buttons and cuff links
• Lint Brush
• Antacid
• Pain Reliever
• Deodorant
• Eye drops
• Granola Bar &Water
• $20 of your own currency and $20 of whatever your destination wedding country currency is.
• Write your soon to be a day of note!

Planning a destination wedding is no easy feat in any location.  But planning a destination wedding in Iceland creates even more unknowns especially if you have never been to Iceland.  If you are planning your wedding by yourself, before your wedding day, you can plan for every possible situation that could arise but that takes time and endless hours of research and you still may encounter a flaw.  Which is exactly why you hire a professional to create plan A, plan B, plan C scenarios in case something detours from the original plan.

Hiring experienced professionals that are not only familiar with the country, have relationships with the local vendors, the terrain, the food, and the types of available lodging allows you to relax!  At Photos by Miss Ann, we present decision options for you and your soon to be to decide on and in turn you can RELAX!  Our Iceland wedding planning and photography team also carry with us elaborate emergency kits similar to the above so we can troubleshoot any possible issues that may arise during your wedding weekend/weekend adventures so trust that you will have a flawlessly beautiful day if you hire us!

Keep Smiling, Ann Peters

Your experts in Iceland Wedding Planning and Iceland Wedding Photography, please contact us for more information!

© 2002-2013, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

The post Destination Wedding in Iceland: Wedding Day Emergency Kit appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.